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GeneralRe: Please can someone go back to the Moon? Pin
Dave Kreskowiak4-Oct-14 3:33
mveDave Kreskowiak4-Oct-14 3:33 
GeneralRe: Please can someone go back to the Moon? Pin
Marc Clifton4-Oct-14 3:37
mvaMarc Clifton4-Oct-14 3:37 
GeneralRe: Please can someone go back to the Moon? Pin
CDP18024-Oct-14 8:50
CDP18024-Oct-14 8:50 
GeneralRe: Please can someone go back to the Moon? Pin
PhilLenoir6-Oct-14 4:27
professionalPhilLenoir6-Oct-14 4:27 
GeneralRe: Please can someone go back to the Moon? Pin
Marc Clifton4-Oct-14 3:34
mvaMarc Clifton4-Oct-14 3:34 
GeneralRe: Please can someone go back to the Moon? Pin
Keith Barrett4-Oct-14 3:50
Keith Barrett4-Oct-14 3:50 
GeneralRe: Please can someone go back to the Moon? Pin
Keith Barrett4-Oct-14 6:59
Keith Barrett4-Oct-14 6:59 
GeneralRe: Please can someone go back to the Moon? Pin
Gary R. Wheeler5-Oct-14 0:38
Gary R. Wheeler5-Oct-14 0:38 
Marc Clifton wrote:
Besides proving we can still do it and employing a whole industry, going to the moon (again) seems like a complete waste of taxpayer money
I disagree. I believe that "going to the moon again", with the objective of establishing a permanent human presence both in Earth orbit and on the lunar surface, represents three things.

One, it would create a technological Renaissance like the Apollo program did. The dividends paid by the space program from the late 50's through the early 70's are almost incalculable. The inertia from that period is gone, however. It's been replaced by baroque excess (cell phones, for example).

Two, we have multiple planet-wide crises that are presently sub-critical. Population growth, widespread warfare over ideologies and resources, and ever-increasing ineptitude by the predominant nations all threaten humanity's survival. While another 'Apollo' program wouldn't help those concerns directly, mammoth R&D efforts like that always produce unforeseen secondary benefits. Those benefits might alleviate or help manage some of these issues, at least in the short term.

The most important aspect of such a program is it would in a generation or two create a human population with a unique perspective. Their loyalties would not necessarily be innately tied to a single nation-state, religion, or other such entity. Living in orbit, looking at Earth, they would see it as Armstrong and his 20 brethren have: our home. I think that perspective is a necessary prerequisite for humanity's survival on this planet.
Software Zen: delete this;

GeneralRe: Please can someone go back to the Moon? Pin
Wes Aday4-Oct-14 3:48
professionalWes Aday4-Oct-14 3:48 
GeneralRe: Please can someone go back to the Moon? Pin
David O'Neil4-Oct-14 6:30
professionalDavid O'Neil4-Oct-14 6:30 
GeneralRe: Please can someone go back to the Moon? Pin
Wes Aday4-Oct-14 11:22
professionalWes Aday4-Oct-14 11:22 
GeneralRe: Please can someone go back to the Moon? Pin
harold aptroot4-Oct-14 3:53
harold aptroot4-Oct-14 3:53 
GeneralRe: Please can someone go back to the Moon? Pin
Mike Hankey4-Oct-14 5:01
mveMike Hankey4-Oct-14 5:01 
GeneralRe: Please can someone go back to the Moon? Pin
Keith Barrett4-Oct-14 9:05
Keith Barrett4-Oct-14 9:05 
GeneralRe: Please can someone go back to the Moon? Pin
Mike Hankey4-Oct-14 9:08
mveMike Hankey4-Oct-14 9:08 
GeneralRe: Please can someone go back to the Moon? Pin
Gary R. Wheeler5-Oct-14 0:40
Gary R. Wheeler5-Oct-14 0:40 
GeneralRe: Please can someone go back to the Moon? Pin
Mike Hankey5-Oct-14 4:54
mveMike Hankey5-Oct-14 4:54 
GeneralRe: Please can someone go back to the Moon? Pin
PhilLenoir6-Oct-14 4:31
professionalPhilLenoir6-Oct-14 4:31 
GeneralRe: Please can someone go back to the Moon? Pin
Mike Hankey6-Oct-14 4:37
mveMike Hankey6-Oct-14 4:37 
GeneralRe: Please can someone go back to the Moon? Pin
PhilLenoir6-Oct-14 4:44
professionalPhilLenoir6-Oct-14 4:44 
GeneralRe: Please can someone go back to the Moon? Pin
Mike Hankey6-Oct-14 4:56
mveMike Hankey6-Oct-14 4:56 
GeneralRe: Please can someone go back to the Moon? Pin
Sandeep Datta4-Oct-14 7:30
Sandeep Datta4-Oct-14 7:30 
GeneralRe: Please can someone go back to the Moon? Pin
Keith Barrett4-Oct-14 8:48
Keith Barrett4-Oct-14 8:48 
GeneralRe: Please can someone go back to the Moon? Pin
RossMW4-Oct-14 9:41
professionalRossMW4-Oct-14 9:41 
GeneralRe: Please can someone go back to the Moon? Pin
Keith Barrett4-Oct-14 10:21
Keith Barrett4-Oct-14 10:21 

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